THE UNIVERSITY of Mindanao debuted at the 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings 2026, landing in the 1301–1400 bracket.
From earning a 3-Star QS Rating in July, UM placed 203rd in Southeast Asia in the QS Asia University Rankings.
“UM proudly stands as the only HEI in the Davao Region to be recognized with both the QS Stars Rating and inclusion in the QS Asia University Rankings—a testament to its academic excellence, global competitiveness, and transformative education,” UM said in a press release.
UM, among 253 universities in Asia and 35 from the country, continues “to shine as a leading university in Mindanao, representing the region’s growing prominence in international higher education.”
The QS Asia University Rankings, organized by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), is one of the world’s most respected university ranking systems.
QS evaluated universities based on 11 key indicators, including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international research network, citations per paper, papers per faculty, and staff with a PhD.
It also measured the ratio of international faculty and students, including inbound and outbound exchange programs.
The University of Hong Kong leads the 2026 QS Asia rankings, followed by Peking University in China. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore are in the third spot.
“This debut marks a historic moment for the UM community—proving once again that Mindanaoan excellence stands strong on the global stage,” UM added.
Of the 35 universities in the country, the University of the Philippines (UP) ranked top school at 104th place. Ateneo de Manila University ranked 141st, followed by De La Salle University at 178th.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) was fourth placer, ranking 184th, while Adamson University ranked fifth at 464th.
University of San Carlos placed sixth at 507th, followed by Mapúa University placing 544th, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines placing 671st, and Silliman University as 694th.
Meanwhile, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) placed in the top ten out of Philippine institutions at the 731–740 bracket
